When propylene, which usually contains some propane, is catalytically hydrated to form isopropanol (IPA), by-product diisopropylether (DIPE) is formed. The propane and unreacted propylene are valuable materials which are further processed for recovery, but the presence of the DIPE is a problem as it can form peroxides which are potentially explosive. Thus, there is a need to efficiently and effectively remove the DIPE from the hydrocarbon process stream.
It is known in the prior art from the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 1,974,069 that ethyl ether can be dried by contact with ethylene glycol which removes the water and then the dry ether product is subsequently distilled off. This, of course, is contrary to applicant's process where the glycol is used to remove an ether. Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,762 which discloses the separation of ethers from high boiling residues by subjecting the residues to azeotropic distillation with a diol of 2 to 4 carbon atoms. U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,568 discloses the extractive distillation of C.sub.3 to C.sub.5 monoepoxides with glycols, such as ethylene glycol, or their ethers whereby oxygen containing compounds such as water, methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone and the like are and removed from the epoxide. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,064 an aromatic ether, alpha-methylbenzyl ether, is purified by azeotropic distillation of the ether with ethylene glycol.